As special counsel Robert Mueller builds his case, relatives of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn are among those pressing the president to use his unique legal power and ‘put these defendants out of their misery.’

Macron hints at EU-UK trade compromise

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May may be able to convince the EU to compromise on a “bespoke” trade agreement after Brexit, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to the BBC, Macron said a future arrangement could fall somewhere between a Canada-style free trade agreement and a Norway-style deal with access to the single market.

“For sure you will have your own solution,” the French leader said in an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr to be aired Sunday.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier had indicated that the U.K. could choose between a Canada or Norway model but not the middle way May is pushing for.

However, Macron ruled out the possibility of the U.K. being part of the single market without accepting the EU’s rules on freedom of movement, financial payments to EU funds and accepting European Court of Justice rulings.

“This special way should be consistent with the preservation of the single market,” said the French president. “You can’t buy, by definition, full access to the single market if you don’t tick the box.

“As soon as you decide not to meet those preconditions it’s not full access. So it’s something perhaps between this full access and a trade agreement,” he added.

POLITICO‘s Sunday Crunch will have full details of the Macron interview.

Related stories on these topics:

Peter G

Perhaps we will let you hope that maybe you will not be beaten as severely as expected? Perhaps just regular cannings by the ECJ? Yes, perhaps.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 12:55 PM CET

wow

Poor @francoisP and @Prisiclla and the like…. lies just keep catching up with them.

NEVER!!! Trololol. too funny. They’ve been wrong for a year and a half now. It must get dishearteneing for them BLESS!!!

Typical Politico left out the bit every other reputable newspaper is quoting… as we have been saying in UKfor a year and half now… Global finance is more powerful than politicians. We’re not daft putting money into CAPPY carrots, give us a break.

Macron: ‘…..because Brussels recognize the “whole finances of Europe” are run through the City of London.’

Posted on 1/20/18 | 12:57 PM CET

wow

@Peter G

Yes the EU is so powerful *LOL*

Yet it isn’t. It’s just in your head (and your tiny pants where the lies Politico tells you makes you feel fuzzy)

Posted on 1/20/18 | 12:58 PM CET

wow

@PeterG

It’s called equivalence and it quite normal in the International World, requiring precisely NOBODY to be under the jurisdiction of any other country.

GET OUT MORE. The Eu27 is going to be even more insular about THE WORLD after the UK has left… geez you can;t even speak to other without headphones on…..never mind the rest of the big world.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:01 PM CET

lingon

It is not for Macron to decie. Or Merkel. It’s for the EU 27 to decide.

One issue that UK always had, is that they always just see the world in an “elementary-ordinal” way; e.g. the biggest country, the biggest company, the biggest this and the biggest that and the biggest waht-ever “should rule them all”. etc. (kind of like wow’s silly little ordinal lists). What they fail to see, is that a collection of cooperating smaller countries is much “more” than one other country in particular – even if that country is bigger than any of the cooperating ones per se.

And this is how the world works today – England is desperatelly clinging to a world order that doesn’t exist anymore, only because that puts it in the center…It just cant stand being “told” by smaller nations, no matter how many they are.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:03 PM CET

wow

What did you say mate? They say on the battlefield of the EU army….

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:03 PM CET

wow

@lingon

No what you fail to see is that a football team of 27 rubbish players plus Ronaldo will be RUBBISH after Ronaldo leaves.

Because it’s 27 pieces of rubbish.

The fact that it is large does not make it less rubbish. In fact is it a bigger RUbbish than 1 rubbish.

It’s just another way of looking at the world. You are entitled to yours, where anything ‘large’ but not 1 in anything is THE BEST!! And I can look at it my way thanks… that if it is large but is Rubbish at eberything, and No1 at nothing (which the EU27 is not world calss at anything),…. then it is all just a bigger pile of rubbish than it was before.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:07 PM CET

wow

@lingon

And that is how the world works too Lingon.

Ronaldo is off leaving 27 rubbish palyers to hook up with some No1 trading blocks players like NAFTA and APEC/TPP which are all much bigger than the EU27 and have massive growth rates.

Ronaldo is not crying.

Cheerio Now.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:09 PM CET

lingon

One of your biggest arguments against EU seemed (???!!!) to be that the EU only supports the big companies and is for the political establisment etc.etc. etc. etc. (we all still wonder how that works with your love of the Enlish establisment – one of the oldest in the world, your love for the big UK law firms, finance companies – everything BIG etc. etc.)

…but now, when you also seem to declare your love for the BIG global finance industry – that you seem to rightfully think should stay over the politicians (at least on paper representing the people) – the confusion is total…

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:11 PM CET

wow

@lingon

No, I did not say anything about finances ‘rightfully’ belonging above politicians above in the comments. I said IT IS as a FACT.

I made no evaluation as to it’s rightness or wrongness.

If you stop lying about what people have said…. you’ll be less confused you poor dear.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:18 PM CET

wow

@lingon

If you stop yourself confusing your own OPINIONS with REAL FACTS, you will be overall less confused and less anxious in the world.

It’s not difficult to separate and it will stop you being a compulsive liar too!!

YAY!

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:22 PM CET

lingon

Your view seems very similar to Trumps arrogant expression about the “sh1th@le countries” – although in this case you refer to some of the most sophisticated countries in the world.

I think, of all your posts, this one shows the most how you are living in the blue on the “superiority” of England. England is not “spear head” in any way. It economy is a pretty straight function of the size of its (underproductive) population (and ruthless, colonial past) . If England had a smaller population (say on par with Finland) – IT would truly be rubbish. No edge at all.

Dream on.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:25 PM CET

Peter G' collapsed lie

@Peter G
Perhaps we will let you hope that maybe you will not be beaten as severely as expected? Perhaps just regular cannings by the ECJ? Yes, perhaps.

‘We’ Peter, ‘We’, not Canadian anymore 😉

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:28 PM CET

Franny

So it’s really now a question of the size of cake that we wish to have and eat and how cherry laden that cake will be, both giving and recieving. Interesting.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:35 PM CET

François P

“However, Macron ruled out the possibility of the U.K. being part of the single market without accepting the EU’s rules on freedom of movement, financial payments to EU funds and accepting European Court of Justice rulings.”

Macron is devilish. So, he would accept that some sectors would be kept outside the single market while other sector would be in the single market, but all the conditions above would still apply. That is basically worse for the UK than the EEA setup!

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:44 PM CET

kermelen

“For sure you will have your own solution”

That sounds dearly optimistic indeed. But it has also its sour side as it seems Mr Macron is hoping the UK will come out with a Brexit solution sometime in the Future. And he got a point here. Like a cowboy that first shot then think afterwards, Britain did vote first to leave the EU and now it’s trying to figure out a “solution”. Not just a dream pipe fantasy but a real-life future relationship that will be acceptable not only to the EU and at the WTO but also at home. So many contradictions remain to be solved. All problems have no solution, I am afraid.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 1:54 PM CET

Lauren Wattley

@kermelen

Don’t panic kermelen, reality will be eased in, in small easily digested chunks interspersed with bile and brimstone to give you hope that it is everything you dreamed it would be. We are patient and tolerant of your delusions of grandeur.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 2:19 PM CET

Philip Ng

@François P
“Macron is devilish. So, he would accept that some sectors would be kept outside the single market while other sector would be in the single market, but all the conditions above would still apply. That is basically worse for the UK than the EEA setup!”

The worst possible scenario for the UK is the best possible for the EU. SM and CU membership. Everything else is fluff. You will fail to secure SM and CU membership for the UK and over the coming decade the EU will be shown to be the antithesis of progressive and prosperous. There is your unavoidable nightmare for all your wailing and teeth gnashing.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 2:40 PM CET

tpk

Well, anything exciting about this? This is just common sense. The EU will of course offer the very best deal for itself, as it does not want to punish UK but earn money from and with UK. All that EU said right from the beginning was that preserving the logic of SM was paramount. Any deal that does not harm SM and will improve our economic relation is of course wellcome. This statement of Macron can only be astonishing to Brexiteers, who thought that EU intended to punish UK.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 3:10 PM CET

tpk

@EuroTroll

This striking is a very good sign for economy. They did not dare to strike for a decade because steel economy was so down.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 3:18 PM CET

kermelen

@ EuroTroll

“UK will make a deal and save the EU.”

Now I understand what Brexit was about in the first place. It was to save the EU indeed. To save it from Britain I’ll guess? You are quite the comedian, are you not? Thank you for the good laugh anyway.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 3:44 PM CET

Philip Ng

@tpk
“This statement of Macron can only be astonishing to Brexiteers, who thought that EU intended to punish UK.”

There is no question that the EU will try to ‘punish’ the UK in every way possible that does not have an adverse result on itself. They will do this because it would be a dream come true post brexit for the EU to thrive and the UK wilt, but in ways that do not affect the EU too much. They’ve said as much many many times. Let’s stop the bullsh|t, no one is buying it really.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 3:54 PM CET

wow

@lingon

No, you bring up about UK being number1 at everything in the world and Eu ONLY having ‘size’ which for once, for you, is true. And you lost the argumentthat size is everthing. As for your comment ‘ If England had a smaller population (say on par with Finland) – IT would truly be rubbish. No edge at all.’…

I have REPEATEDLY said how I and the world admires Switzerland which IS a world leader more then the ‘large’ EU, it’s financial centre and universites etc research, pharmaceuticals are ranked higher than ALL the EU27……and it is WORLD FAMOUS.

Switzerland wouldn’t join the EU if the EU PAID THEM. Sensible people! They don;t need the EU, the EU will just hold them back.

Same for Norway.

Proving your theory (again) WRONG in reality.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:05 PM CET

wow

@tpk

I already precited your pathetic reaction to realising that the Eu is just a small trading block.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:07 PM CET

wow

@tpk

Macron does the EXACT opposite of your big mouths on here and you all act like you’ve never said a word and he is agreeing with you.

Too funny!

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:09 PM CET

Rollseyes

@Lingon
“If England had a smaller population (say on par with Finland) – IT would truly be rubbish. No edge at all.”

And France, Spain, Germany etc. etc.

Silly argument.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:11 PM CET

wow

@François P
“Macron is devilish. So, he would accept that some sectors would be kept outside the single market while other sector would be in the single market, but all the conditions above would still apply. That is basically worse for the UK than the EEA setup!”

You called that cherrypicking literally only yesterday and said it would never happen as it would benefit the UK.

Now it’s happening: Macron is REALLY smart and you agree with him, as it will be BAD for UK.

You guys are beyond help. All you do is LIE all day, everyday to protect your fragile ego’s and your rubbish trading block.

Yaaaawn

Today it is… yesterday it was rigid and uncompromising, Norway – Canada or nothing. How malleable you are and how creatively you justify your own delusions.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:30 PM CET

wow

@Yawnnn

Poor @francoisP posted that mouthy nonsense only an hour before the story broke TODAY. And he changed it within 3 hours to backtrackingand and agreeing with macron said!

Macron is genius now for offering more than norway or ceta, apparantly.

Too funny.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:36 PM CET

wow

FrancoisP this morning on ‘no financial services for the UK Politico article:

‘Logical. But I find the emphasis on financial services misplaced. The EU27 won’t allow the UK to cherry pick sectors in or out of the single market. It is all or nothing.’

FrancoisP this afternoon above.

Macron is a genius to offer a bespoke deal including financial services! What a snake. It’s for the Eu’s benefit! I love his genuis this will ruin the UK!

Hahahaaaahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:41 PM CET

wow

FrancoisP to a germ@n this afternoon on the ‘no finacial services’ article at the bottom…

STARK contrast to Macron;s genius he claims on this thread.

‘
”François P

@tpk

You lot are such scroats to have been posturing and predicted no deal from the very beginning. Your Merkel and her coalition talks are behind all of this. German w@nkers only interested in what’s best for you. When the details are revealed you will pay for your treachery.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:20 PM CET”’

end message

Posted on 1/20/18 | 4:46 PM CET

lingon

Nurse! Please don’t skip you’re rounds in wow’s corridor again…

You know how excited he gets when he doesn’t get his medicines…

Posted on 1/20/18 | 5:01 PM CET

tpk

I was consistently saying that EU does not want to punish and wants the best deal possible without harming itself. For months.

@Philip Ng
“There is no question that the EU will try to ‘punish’ the UK in every way possible that does not have an adverse result on itself. They will do this because it would be a dream come true post brexit for the EU to thrive and the UK wilt, but in ways that do not affect the EU too much. They’ve said as much many many times. Let’s stop the bullsh|t, no one is buying it really.”

Show me one quote where a politician says that he plans to inflict unnecessary problems on UK – especially one speaking in the name of EU. They might think it because they are human after all. But the official position to my knowledge always was: no cherry picking and that in itself is (selfinflicted!!!) punishment enough already.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 5:11 PM CET

wow

@lingon

No nurse needed lingon.

It is normal to laugh at you fools.

It would be weird not to laugh as you are so funny! Thanks for laugh today. Love you mwah mwah x

Posted on 1/20/18 | 5:18 PM CET

wow

@lingon

I did not post the above clip which does not like one you would post. I only post in my own name and this poster is not you (I don’t think!) or me for that matter.

@FrancoisP

This for you:

Posted on 1/20/18 | 5:23 PM CET

crispin hythe

‘Freedom of movement’ seems the biggest obstacle. The English dislike the notion of freedom, apart from freedom to drink beer all day. Better to rename it ‘obligation to trudge’, ‘need to queue’, or ‘my-feet-are-killing-me.’ As the concept of human rights is equally alien, the Charter of Fundamental Rights could become the List of Fundamental Chores, or ‘no-supper-until-you-clean-the-toilet.’ Then the English would be happy.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 5:41 PM CET

wow

@crispin Hythe

We’re not leaving the council of europe.

The council of europe is not the EU. Twas a british guy who wrote the thing.

‘British MP and lawyer Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, the Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Legal and Administrative Questions, was one of its leading members and guided the drafting of the Convention.’ ‘ECHR @ world famous online encyclopedia.’

Stop talking nonsense as usual.

‘From 7 to 10 May 1948 with the attendance of politicians (such as Winston Churchill, François Mitterrand and Konrad Adenauer), civil society representatives, academics, business leaders, trade unionist and religious leader was organised gathering-The “Congress of Europe” in Hague.

EUhoo

Brexiteers are really raving at Macron’s mere suggestion that the EU will try its best to find a form of access to financial services that the EU27 and EFTA countries wouldn’t envy (and decide to downgrade their relation to the same as UK, therefore breaking the SM), and that the EU feels prepared to share with the 68 countries in an FTA with EU (MFN clause).

It is also a first admission of the importance of London for EU financing, and probably concerns that Trump might have more influence over other financial centers than the EU.

Punishing the UK is a petty and small topic to the UK when compared with the potential damage to the integrity of the Single Market, but the Brexiteers are unable and unwilling to grasp this.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 8:35 PM CET

EUhoo

“Punishing the UK is a petty and small topic to the UK”, I meant to the EU in my previous comment.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 8:38 PM CET

EuroTroll

@Sumkunt Said

You are so right. And Germany will have a coalition and Merkel will retire after 12 months but while in office she does as she is told.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:09 PM CET

EuroTroll

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:11 PM CET

EuroTroll

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:12 PM CET

EuroTroll

Britain may sue EU…..

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:14 PM CET

EUhoo

Really getting tired of all the Brexiteer vitriol, I’ll leave you guys to it. Enjoy and be happy.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:24 PM CET

EuroVision Entry

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:42 PM CET

Amazed

Reading through this news article and hysterical reaction on both sides of opinion views, I can only conclude this comment site is full of a bunch of ars,,,les complely hysterical. Some seems to spend their lives reacting to no-news. Listen and read, thing before you write. Those who thing that the UK will have a sweet-heart deal with access to sweets and cakes and pleasures of 450 mio market of its service sectors producing 80%of national GDP without paying substantial contribution to the budget that sustain this market are delusional. Those who think that the EU will not make a deal with the UK, to give the UK access to the market, upon substantial payment from the contracting party – UK, are delusional as well. Compromise will be the end point. All will be happy, as this is the way this separation should end. We need to go on, and there is a price to pay for this for both sides. And to remind everyone, a deal is a deal. It’s a contract. No more no less.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 9:57 PM CET

please try!

@I just cant help it.

That is spectacular. Didn’t make it to the end as it was just too much.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:01 PM CET

I just cant help it.

Try this old classic;-

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:10 PM CET

Amazed

Amused to see such an energetic troll attack on this no news article. Sensible people can just be laughing going through these posts. People speaking with themselves, pathetic, SAD

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:11 PM CET

Amazed

@I just cant help it.
Thumb up! 🙂

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:13 PM CET

Peter G the Candian NOT

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:24 PM CET

Peter G

Had the author of this piece considered that what Macron just meant that Britain will have its own idea of what contitutes a solution. And this wasn’t an offer. Considering his subsequent remarks about what wasn’t possible that seems a lot more likely. And the desperate hope that it meant more than that exists only in the author’s mind.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:26 PM CET

Amazed

@Sumkint said
You have zero clue of what you are talking about.
Turkey is in the customs union with the EU. No big deal! EU can always enter into the customs union with the UK. And you know what this mean actually? Let me give you an example. Turkey. Turkey is in the customs union for certain sectors. And you know what this means in real terms. Terms that are not there because of the EU, but WTO rules? No? Well I tell, you. It means common tariff on goods imported inside customs union. Do you have a clue what this means? No? Well I tell you, No possibility to negotiate any trade deals on your own. You got it? No? Taking back control of making your own deals is incompatible with any concept of the customs union in this world. Yes, in Earth, as long you don’t persuade other 190 or something nations to agree otherwise. I hope that you read and learn something in your life, because you may find it useful

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:27 PM CET

Peter G

@Peter G

You’re full of it !

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:39 PM CET

Peter G a Canadian NOT

@Peter G

Even Macron wants to negotiate and is prepared to compromise.
No more Mr Barnier, they are all wanting to do a deal !
The ranks have broken.

EuroTroll

EuroTroll

First the Germans break ranks and want a deal then the French follow.
Why are the French always at the rear ?

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:49 PM CET

Amazed

UK opinion is strongly shifting towards remaining permanently in the EU single market and customs union.

Posted on 1/20/18 | 10:54 PM CET

Amazed

What would most of UK people do today if they would be given a second chance and would be given a proper picture. Explained properly that they lost their jobs not because of the EU but because of their pathetic egoistic and elitist politicians, that their National Health Service is collapsing not because of contributing to the EU which in return gives back millions of jobs to British people, by giving their business unrestricted access to 500 mil market but because of their ultra liberal elites, that sucked money from working and middle class people…Time is coming, people is UK are awaking

Posted on 1/20/18 | 11:05 PM CET

EuroTroll

Posted on 1/20/18 | 11:18 PM CET

EuroTroll

Peter G: A Canadian (NOT)
Specially for yEU !

Posted on 1/20/18 | 11:24 PM CET

wow

Post Brexit Britain is a lost cause.
FACT is, our decrepit, tired old economy is not strong enough for Brexit.
Brexit is only something – even if you accept the premise of socialism or free-market bonanza – that works on paper

Posted on 1/20/18 | 11:34 PM CET

EuroTroll

Thank you Jack ! 🙂

Posted on 1/20/18 | 11:37 PM CET

wow

Not me posting.

They’ve gone a bit nuts today. (both sides)

Cheerio Now.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 12:53 AM CET

Anthony Chambers

@wow: Can you stop being such a massive asshole. Chill down. The world moves on. Lets just be a.little bit mire friendly.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 1:42 AM CET

wow

@anthony

Already told you it is not me posting those clips.

I’m more subtle and I’m not into the military thanks.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 1:50 AM CET

Priscilla du Bleu

It’s not Macron who decides – he isn’t but one of the 27. Brussels decides – ant they made their stance clear.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 3:04 AM CET

wow

@anthony

Of course it WAS ME who keeps posting those clips.

I’m a bully but I’m not into the military thanks. They rejected me for my mental illness.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 3:07 AM CET

wow

I forgot to say ‘and do’…

If only i could forget my miserable life as well.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 3:10 AM CET

wow

@EuroTroll
“Lets not forget the UK’s allies that the French want on their side.”
The US are not our allies.
They are our masters.
All we can aspire to, is to be their lap dogs.
Sad…. And pathetic.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 3:13 AM CET

wow

Our new aircraft carrier could sink the defence budget without firing a shot.
And it is just a vulnerable metal can…
The funny thing is this piece of floating shyte and the new fleet of Dreadnought submarines are irrelevant to Britain’s security needs. They are of no use against terrorism…
5 terror attacks and they have learning nothing….
Cheerio now.

Posted on 1/21/18 | 3:33 AM CET

wow

*Have learnt… sorry
you have to understand that I am a product of the british education system.
Arguably the worst in the western world

Posted on 1/21/18 | 3:43 AM CET

Anthony Chambers

@Priscilla du Bleu: apologies. This troll using my name is definitely not me. I think although we disagree, you would know that when it comes to discussion I would not resort to personal attacks.